03/31/2022 – “An Amazing Tour of a Byzantine Catholic Church”
Thanks brother Lenny for sharing this one! Lenny, is a warrior Christian that has spent his entire life in the Ukranian Orthodox Church. I was a roman catholic for over decade, converting over in my 20s from the lutheran faith I was raised in. That ended when my bride, like my mother to my father, conveyed that she couldn’t become a member after attendance in R.C.I.A. (Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults). A 50 minute presentation is a big investment. But, I think it would be so beneficial to so many protestants that I have fellowshipped with over the years. There is so much mis-understanding out there.
What do I miss most about the Catholic church? I would say, the mass, embracing the wonder and the mystery of God’s love and grace. That certainly entails the mystery of the Eucharist. But in this Byzantine Church it puts an explanation point on the integrated spiritual synnergy of the architecture , the icons, the tradition of worship across history, the communion of the saints. Thank you Fr. Loya and Matt, the interviewer. I hit “subscribe” on Matt’s : “The Ten Minute Bible Hour”.
Why is the mystery so critical? I would say it helps us to not drift into the fleshly tendency of “putting God in a box”. I would say that if we think we can put God in a box, our god is way too small. I think of this when I hear people say something to the affect: “I will be so excited that I can get answers to all my questions when I get to heaven.” My reflection: “it is a good thing that we have all of eternity to get to know God, because that is how long it is going to take for us to fully comprehend his essence, his unfathomable love, and his grace. If we imagine it in terms of time that doesn’t exist in heaven, we will get up each morning (no sleep either,lol) and say: I know him more each day so even though it was perfect yesterday, it is more joyful today!
Enjoy! One body in Christ! So, as I have mentioned so many times over the years: yes, we need to separate from heretical doctrine, God forbid we should dance with the Devil, but let’s not divide the remnant body of Christ! It’s ok that we worship in different church buildings on the sabbath; it is still one body unified.
Always connected by His grace and through prayer!
Love,
Your brother in Christ,
Jimmy
p.s. – It is what it is but when we visited a Greek Orthodox Church , many years ago, the home church of my son-in-law and daughter, I thought that might have been my lifetime church as well. And , praise God, I would have a very difficult struggle today as a member in the roman catholic church with the current pope Francis. Which would also be a struggle with the Byzantine church, for I didn’t know that they are one of the eastern orthodox under the roman pontiff. As a whole, church at best, can still be messy, like our families, but we must engage and fellowship.